What is plant pathology?

Plant pathology is a scientific field that studies disease and how it relates to plants, agriculture, and botany as a whole. This includes issues like how changes in an environment affect the spread of disease, how an organism changes to adapt to infections, and how to breed or grow healthy crops in areas ravaged by a pathogen. Plant pathologists often work with agronomists (experts in soil management and crop production) to monitor research sites, gather information, and search for solutions. Plant pathology covers problems caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, protozoa, and parasitic plants, and occasionally branches out into other fields. For example, a plant pathologist may study how diseases can be transmitted from animals to plants.